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  I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t have a permanent job though, at least not yet. If this director of publicity gig doesn’t pan out . . .”

  “Let’s not think that way,” Maggie said. “You have a job now, and that’s what counts. Anyway, push come to shove, your roomie has a job, right? Or I’m sure your sister will vouch for you.” She reached out and squeezed my hand. “I’m glad you turned out to be Toby’s special human. And now”—she glanced at her watch—“it’s almost time for us to wrap things up here.”

  I stole a glance at my own watch and saw she was right. The time had passed so quickly! It was four o’clock, and the last cat adoption customer had just departed. Now that I’d filled out the application, all of the eight cats they’d brought today had found forever homes. Kat hurried over to me. “This was a huge success, Syd. So much so that I want to talk to Dayna about doing this again, maybe once a month?”

  I bobbed my head in agreement. “Sounds good. And if that works out, maybe we could expand it to every other week. And we don’t have to limit it to Dayna’s either. Any interested venue can set up a pop-up. You know, we don’t just have to limit it to cats. A dog café could be a possible expansion.”

  “True. Maybe Natalie could have a book-signing-slash-shelter-event at her store,” Kat said enthusiastically. “There are several writers from this area who’ve written both fiction and nonfiction books featuring dogs and cats. I’ll put it on my agenda to discuss.” She glanced over at the cages and saw the white sticker on Toby’s cage. “Oh—Toby got adopted?”

  I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. “Yep. By yours truly—as long as I pass the screening, that is.”

  Kat let out a whoop and grabbed me around the waist. “What do you mean? Of course you pass!” She turned and waved at Maggie with her free arm. “Maggie, leave Syd’s papers on my desk. I’ll process them first thing Monday.” She gave me a wide smile. “So . . . you can pick him up any time after noon on Monday. That work for you? Or is it too soon?”

  Now it was my turn to whoop. “Too soon! Heck no. It’s just too bad that it’s a weekend and that I can’t take him home tonight.”

  “Now now, calm down,” Kat grinned. “You need time to go shopping for supplies.”

  “Oh, darn.” I slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand. “You’re right. I forgot about that little detail.”

  “We can help with some of it,” Maggie said from behind me. “We can provide you with some toys, but you’ll need a food bowl, food, a cat bed . . .” She rummaged in her portfolio and whipped out a sheet of paper. “Here’s a checklist.”

  I stared at all the items and knew just where this week’s pay would be going. But it was all worth it.

  * * *

  Viola, Sissy, and Maggie took the cats back to the shelter while Kat and I sat down at the counter with Dayna to iron out details about another possible event. We’d only been talking for a few minutes when the bell above the café door tinkled, and in walked Will and Detective Bennington.

  “Oh, great,” Kat muttered under her breath. “What do they want?”

  “I don’t know, but I bet it’s not to adopt a cat.”

  Will offered me a fleeting smile as he and Bennington strode up to the counter. Bennington tapped one chubby finger on the counter. “I guess we’re too late to have a look at the kitties, eh?”

  I pointed to the clock on the wall. “It ended at four,” I said. “But don’t worry, we’ll have another event.”

  “I gather it was a success, then?” Bennington observed.

  “Oh, yes,” Kat piped up. “Very much so.”

  “Ah.” Bennington shot us a piercing glance. “Any of ’em get adopted?”

  “All of them, actually,” I said. “It really went off like clockwork.”

  “How . . . nice.”

  The silence hung heavy in the air, and I felt as if I could read Bennington’s thoughts: So Littleton’s death proved rather fortuitous, eh?

  Dayna eyed the newcomers rather suspiciously. “Can I get you gentlemen something to eat or drink?”

  Bennington sniffed at the air as he patted at his bulging stomach. “Something to eat would be nice. Smells really good in here.”

  “That would be my apple tart,” Dayna responded. “Would you gentlemen like one? And some coffee to go with?”

  “I think we can make time for that.” Bennington glanced meaningfully at Kat and me. “I really need to talk to the McCall sisters.”

  “I was rather hoping to impose on them to give me a hand getting your treats,” Dayna said quickly. I glanced at her set jaw, and I could read between the lines. The faster they were served, the faster they might leave.

  “Sure. I’ll make the coffee,” Kat said quickly. She gave me a little push. “You can start with the detectives.” She tossed Bennington a tight smile. “I trust that’s okay?”

  He nodded. “Perfectly fine.” He turned and pushed his way toward a table near the middle of the café. Will started to follow, but I reached out and touched his arm.

  “Any more word on Littleton’s cause of death?” I whispered.

  Will stole a quick glance over at the table where Bennington had already made himself comfortable. “Not yet,” he said shortly.

  I leaned forward. “What about the note? Did you check that out yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  My eyes narrowed. I had the distinct feeling he was being deliberately dismissive. “Are those the only two words you know?”

  His lips twitched. “Nope.”

  I made an exasperated sound. “What about the other suspects? Did any of them have alibis for the TOD?”

  Will’s brows drew together. “Other suspects?”

  I widened my eyes. “You’ve got other suspects, don’t you? Or are Kat and I the only lucky ones?”

  Will’s hand shot out and gripped my elbow. He inclined his head in Bennington’s direction. “Can we talk about all this some other time?”

  I thrust my jaw aggressively forward. “I’m not afraid of your partner.”

  “No? Maybe you should be.” He turned on his heel and stalked over to where Bennington sat.

  “What got him hot under the collar?”

  I turned. Kat stood behind me, holding a tray on which rested two steaming cups of coffee.

  “How on earth did you make that so fast?” I cried.

  She shrugged. “I used Dayna’s French press,” she said. “Brewing a fresh pot would take too long. I’d like to get this over with as quickly as possible too. Will I don’t mind so much, but his partner gives me the creeps.”

  “No argument here,” I muttered. “Will turns into a different person when he’s around Columbo Jr.” I saw Dayna pulling tarts out of the microwave. “Go serve them the coffee, and I’ll get the pastry.” As Kat walked over to their table, I decided I’d be very circumspect in what I told them. I meant what I said. It seemed to me that Will walked on eggshells around Bennington. I’d have to manage to get him alone somehow.

  Dayna emerged from the kitchen and pressed the tray containing the tarts into my hand. “Here. Try to make it fast, will ya—what the heck?”

  A loud cry made us both whirl around. Bennington had half-risen from his chair, and I noticed that he had coffee spilled on his shirt. Will looked like he wanted to drop through the floor and disappear as Bennington reared back and pointed an accusing finger under Kat’s nose.

  “Young lady,” he bellowed, “are you trying to kill me now?”

  Chapter Nine

  I shot out from behind the counter like a flash and raced over to my sister’s side. Bennington had grabbed a handful of napkins and was attempting to wipe off his shirt. He glanced up briefly, his eyes blazing. “That coffee!” He gestured toward Will’s still full cup. “Take a taste. It’s horrible!”

  Will hesitated, then raised his mug to his lips and took a tentative sip. His eyes bulged, and he made a face as he lowered the cup back to the table. “It—it isn’t too good
,” he said.

  “Isn’t too good! That’s an understatement!” Bennington rasped.

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake.” I snatched up Will’s cup and raised it to my own lips. A moment later, I spat out the liquid. “Uck. Tastes like dirt.” I turned my gaze to Kat. “What kind of coffee is this?”

  “Oh my stars.” Kat turned on her heel and hurried back behind the counter. Fortunately, there weren’t too many other customers in the café at the moment, but the few that were craned their necks, trying to ascertain what had made Bennington make such a fuss. I picked up Will’s cup and carried it back with me, over to the rear counter where Kat was standing by the French press she’d used to make the coffee. She had a purple container in her hand and was just standing there, staring at it.

  I waved the cup in front of her. “What in heck did you do to that coffee?”

  She looked up at me, her lips white. “I was in such a hurry—I wanted to get rid of Bennington. Not in the strictest sense of the word, but . . .”

  Dayna bustled up to us. “What on earth happened?” She cried, then stopped as she caught sight of the purple container in Kat’s hand. “Oh, Lord! Don’t tell me you grabbed the chicory by mistake?”

  Kat nodded, her expression miserable. “I’m afraid so. You said the purple container, and I grabbed the dark one. I should have grabbed the light one, I guess.”

  Dayna sighed. “I’m so sorry, Kat. I should have been clearer. After all, you were doing me a favor, and now . . .”

  Suddenly, I started to laugh. I just couldn’t help it.

  Kat stared at me, and I saw tears start to form in the corners of her eyes. “It’s not funny, Syd. That man—I think he’s got it in for us already, and now . . .”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” I gasped for breath. “I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just nerves I guess. But this just shows you why we don’t run a coffee shop.” I reached up, snatched the other container from the shelf, and headed back toward the table. Bennington had finished wiping off his shirt and had started to dig into the apple tart. He wiped some crumbs from his upper lip as I approached and laid the two canisters side by side on the table. “It was an honest mistake,” I said. “Kat just pulled down the wrong canister.”

  Will leaned over, took a sniff. “Chicory. Oh, gee.”

  Bennington arched one shaggy brow. “A mistake. Of course. Seeing as Ms. McCall doesn’t normally brew coffee here, I can understand it.”

  I stared at him in surprise. “You can?”

  “Of course.” He dabbed at his lips with his napkin. “Of course, I must also question just why your sister decided to turn café worker now.”

  “Because she was helping me out,” Dayna said evenly. She placed fresh mugs of coffee in front of both men. “I trust this will be more to your liking?”

  Bennington eyed the mug, then picked it up and took a tentative sip, then another. “Ah. Now this is coffee.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and said in an even tone, “I have a question. You said quite plainly to my sister, ‘Are you trying to kill me now?’ Are you inferring that she might have killed someone else?”

  Will paused, the mug of coffee halfway to his lips. “Syd!” he said, a warning note to his tone.

  “It was merely an expression. I didn’t mean anything by it, I assure you.” Bennington’s gaze raked me up and down. “Unless, of course, you or your sister have a guilty conscience about something?”

  “Absolutely not. Not one thing,” I answered with a curl of my lip. I could feel Will’s gaze on me, and I studiously avoided looking his way.

  “Well, that’s good to hear.” Bennington picked up his fork, broke off a large hunk of tart. He shoved the tart into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and then picked up the mug of coffee. He took a sip and then started to cough.

  “My Lord,” I cried. “What now?”

  He looked up, raised two fingers in the air. “I’m fine. It just went down the wrong pipe.” He patted at the stain on the front of his shirt. “We’re all good—well, all except my shirt. I’ll have to send this to the cleaners. But other than that . . .” He turned an accusing stare at me. “Do you or your sister have any first-aid training?”

  I turned back slowly. “First-aid training? We know the basics, I suppose. Why?”

  “Would you know how to administer CPR, or . . . oh, an injection, if one were needed?”

  “I know how to bandage a wound and maybe perform a Heimlich, and that’s it,” I said evenly.

  “Hmm. And you, Miss McCall?” He fixed Kat with his hawkish stare. “How about your skills?”

  Kat’s lips thinned. “Pretty much the same as Syd’s.”

  “Ah.”

  Further conversation was precluded as both Will and Bennington suddenly dipped into their jacket pockets for their cell phones at almost the same instant. Kat plucked at my sleeve, and the two of us started to move back toward the counter. Will and Bennington scraped back their chairs and started to head for the door, still on their phones. As Will passed me, I caught the tail end of his conversation.

  “Put those toxicology reports on my desk. We’ll want to go over them ASAP.” He clicked off his phone, glanced up and saw me looking at him. “Sorry we have to rush off,” he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

  “Oh, think nothing of it,” Dayna said from her position behind the counter.

  Bennington appeared behind Will. “Yes, sorry we have to leave so soon. It’s been swell. Don’t bother with the change.” He whipped out his wallet, slapped a twenty-dollar bill on the counter, and then turned and hurried out the front door.

  I grabbed Will’s sleeve. “Your partner is a real charmer.”

  Will’s tone as he answered was gruff. “Don’t push it, Syd.”

  I gripped his arm more tightly. “I heard you got a toxicology report in?”

  He raised a brow. “Eavesdropping now?”

  I returned his stare. “You weren’t whispering.”

  “Yes,” he said shortly. “And don’t ask me for the results.”

  “But does that mean—you think Littleton might have been poisoned?”

  Bennington stuck his head back in the front door. “Are you coming, Detective Worthington? Or do you have something else to do?”

  I let go of Will’s arm and made a shooing motion with my hand. “Go on, before he arrests me for fraternizing with the police. We can talk later.”

  Will opened his mouth to say something but then apparently thought better of it. He shrugged and followed Bennington outside. The two of them stood on the sidewalk outside the store, talking in low tones. Once, Bennington looked back into the shop, and our gazes locked for a brief instant. He raised a brow at me, then took Will’s arm, and the two of them walked off.

  “Well, that was a crappy ending to what started out as a reasonably good day,” sighed Kat. “Nothing against Will, but since he and that horrid man seem to be joined at the hip, I hope they don’t feel the need to interrogate us again anytime soon.”

  I silently agreed. Kat didn’t show much emotion outwardly, but I could tell that Bennington’s innuendo had really gotten to her. And despite my brave front, the offensive detective was getting to me too. Something—or someone—had put a bee in his bonnet about us, and it was becoming increasingly apparent to me that the only way to get Bennington off our backs was to figure out who’d killed Littleton. That certainly wouldn’t be easy, especially since it was pretty evident I’d get precious little information out of Will. I needed another source—but who?

  And then the shop doorbell jangled again, and Lady Luck stepped in.

  Chapter Ten

  The girl who stood on the threshold looked to be around my age, maybe a little younger. She had on a neat navy-blue skirt and jacket, and her makeup was artfully applied, not a curly blonde hair on her head out of place. She hurried toward us, a wide smile on her face, and looked straight at Kat. “How’d the event go?” she asked. “Did all the kitties get adopted?”
r />   “They did,” Kat responded. “Even Toby.”

  The girl clapped her hands. “Toby finally got a home! That’s great. Who adopted him?”

  “I did,” I piped up. As the girl turned a curious stare my way, I added, “I’m Kat’s sister.”

  The curious stare melted into a warm smile. “Oh, you’re Sydney!” The girl thrust a beautifully manicured hand at me. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. Kat always talks about you. We were all thrilled to hear that you were joining the shelter staff.”

  “Well, it’s not permanent—at least not yet,” I said as I shook her hand. “I take it you’re one of the volunteers here?”

  “Yes,” Kat said, throwing me a meaningful glance. “This is Diane Ryan.”

  Diane Ryan. The name seemed vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn’t quite place it.

  “I told you about Diane,” Kat went on. She gave my shoulder a little nudge. “She took Betty’s job at the police station.”

  Ah. Light dawned. Diane Ryan was the one who’d told Kat about Petra’s being involved with her gym instructor. Kat’s words came back to me in a rush: And just like Betty before her, she loves a good gossip session.

  Well, well. Talk about Lady Luck! I’d been wondering who I could cultivate as a source other than Will, and here she was, standing right in front of me. I turned to Diane and flashed her a smile. “Yes, my sister’s mentioned you. You’re the admin down at the station, right?”

  Diane’s smile got wider. “That’s me.” She leaned in toward me and added, “Your sister is a perfect dear. Everyone at the shelter loves her.”

  Dayna emerged from the back room and caught sight of Diane standing with us. “There you are,” she said. “I was just gonna call you. I’m closing a little early tonight. Today was a busy day.” She reached under the counter and pulled out two large boxes. “I hope the guys at the station like these. I’m trying out two new recipes: Butternut brownies and caramel cream puffs.”

  “They both sound delicious. Those guys would eat sawdust as long as you prepared it, Dayna. Everyone loves your baking.” She started to open the tote on her shoulder, but Dayna gave a wave of her hand.